Broken Birds
by parietheplatypus
Summary: Lorcan takes Elide on a date. He just doesn't expect the emotional reaction he gets as deep scars are brought up again. A fluffy elorcan fanfic set in the modern world.


**AU: A modern elorcan fanfic where Lorcan takes Elide out on two dates. He just doesn't expect an as emotional reaction as he receives.**

 **Fluff for you! Fluff for everyone! This is a fluffy fanfiction, because you can never have enough. Onward!**

Lorcan had busted into Elide's room, declaring that he was going to take her out on a two-date trip.

Elide didn't know where they were going. At first - she was uncertain about leaving. But after qualming that she should be allowed to be free, and she was no longer in the clutches of Vernon, she agreed. And who in their right mind would reject Lorcan Salvaterre?

* * *

So there they were - in Lorcan's car. Listening to Stir Fry by Migos. A song with cussing every other line instead of sappy love ballads. That was their dynamic. The windows were wide open and Lorcan was no doubt - going above the speed limit. But Elide was giddy that she didn't care.

A rather rowdy lyric blasted through the car and Elide's eyes widened, as she paused the song. Her head whipped to Lorcan. She looked at him, eyebrows scrunched, and her jaw open. She didn't need to say anything, Lorcan glanced at her and he understood it all. He shook his head - his unkempt hair blowing in the wind. He gave Elide a wry look.

Despite all the wrongness that went on with the song - the cussing - the innuendos - and the subtle stereotypes - everything that went against what Elide listened to, she turned the song back on. Perhaps Lorcan was changing her.

And she embraced the change with open arms and a wide smile.

They got to a hotel - checked in - and settled into their quite small settlement.

Elide put her hands on her hips, "One room, huh?"

Lorcan looked around, "You could get another one you know? But why would you miss out on all this?"

Elide raised a brow, "Where is all of this coming from?"

Lorcan shrugged, "I feel like today is going to be a good day."

Elide agreed.

Lorcan continued, "Alright Elide, let's go to our first stop."

* * *

After some bickering with Lorcan, Elide drove to the address on his phone. Although Lorcan kept a cool demeanor - Elide could tell that he was anxious.

His leg kept bouncing up and down, and he was fidgeting his thumbs. Elide reached over and held his hand. She gave him a reassuring look.

Whatever they were doing, it was going to be comfortable. For he had told her to wear a jersey, leggings, and sneakers. That was fine with Elide. Formalities scared her, but she was sure it scared Lorcan more.

Lorcan could have been wearing a clown outfit for god's sake, and Elide wouldn't have loved him less.

When they arrived at the long building, Elide wondered what they were doing at a batting arena.

Of course. Elide smiled and shook her head. What else was new with Lorcan? Of course, he would exchange the flowers and the syrupy words for the ruggedness of baseball.

Now it was Elide's turn to bounce up and down. She was becoming increasingly excited to play. She was always the one for sports, though she was underestimated with her small frame. It was a struggle when one wasn't 5 feet tall.

The facility held many batting cages, and there was even an arcade. Elide felt giddy lights and upbeat music.

Elide marveled at it all, she found herself bouncing to the music. Stir Fry, again, Elide realized. She found Lorcan holding her gaze. Elide looked sheepish, and Lorcan looked at her with endearment with a hint of amusement.

They paid the tickets, and Elide stood in a line to use a batting cage. But Lorcan took her hand and pulled her away from the line.

"Where are we going?" Elide asked.

Lorcan turned, "I rented a batting cage just for us."

Indeed he had taken a month to rent this cage. Although he could have easily threatened the manager - he decided to keep things civil.

Lorcan walked over to a stand with an assortment of helmets. He took one of the smaller ones and fitted it around Elide's head. Which required him to cup her head.

Lorcan stepped back with the satisfaction of choosing the right size, on the first try, "This one works."

Elide smirked, "I could have done that."

Lorcan raised his brows, "Yeah, but my way was more romantic."

Of course, Lorcan was one for small acts of kindness, not the extravagant events Rowan would probably whip up. Though his situation was different, he had to serve a queen, Lorcan had to please just her.

No, stop. Lorcan is trying to do something nice. Why was she trying to downgrade that? She came here to be happy. This was Lorcan Salvaterre - making plans for her.

They walked into the cage together. The round dome of just them. A pipeline on one side, and a mat on the other. A row of bats on the left side. The setting options on the right.

Elide noticed Lorcan not wearing a helmet. She frowned, "Hey, I know your head is rock-hard, but you still have to wear a helmet."

Lorcan tilted his head, "Do I look like the kind of person that wears a helmet?"

Elide put a helmet on him anyway. She stepped back and wrinkled her nose to keep back a laugh. It was comical - seeing his head trapped between the thick material.

Elide whipped out her phone.

Lorcan raised a brow, "What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture."

She put her phone away, to see Lorcan looking at her with the devil's stare. He held the gaze, while one hand drifted up to the settings console.

So she was going first.

Elide picked a bat and got in position. Lorcan came over and adjusted her position. She gave him a lopsided smile. Which he returned.

"Ready?"

Elide nodded. She stared hard and long at the pipe's hole. A distant part of her heard Lorcan adjusting the settings.

"Relax, Elide. You want to stay calm so you see when you have to strike."

At the word strike, Elide's hands gripped the bat tighter. She sighed and tried to loosen her posture. But it had a mind of its own and decided it wanted to stay taught. Trying to release herself from her muscle's grip, she stared into that black hole - like her life depended on it.

The wait was antagonizing, Elide hadn't thought she would get this stressed about it. Dates were meant to be relaxing after all.

Elide spared a glance at the clock, one minute had passed. Her eyebrows furrowed.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

Elide stood and snapped her head at Lorcan.

"I don't think it's..." Her mouth widened.

Lorcan was holding his phone at her. Recording her. Capturing her stressing.

Lorcan looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He looked at the floor.

She looked to his side - the settings were turned off.

He slowly brought his phone down. And Elide put her hands on her hips.

Lorcan was going down.

There was no break in between the cage and their next date. Elide rubbed her still-tingling hands. Each impact between the ball and her bat sent a myriad of sensations up her arm. But she kept going - and at first, the pain was agonizing. Then she began to thrive off it. Loving the thud and the clap of each ball. Loving the next shot of feeling, refilling her just-recovered arm with more sensation, not giving it time to slow down.

And Lorcan pushed her, he kept amping the speeds and the frequency. Each change led to her missing a few swings - but she soon adapted to the change. And just when she was settled, making hits regularly, Lorcan changed it again. And again. And again.

Finally; when Elide could no longer feel her arm, could no longer bear to stand against the force of the ball, when she finally reached her limit, Lorcan stopped.

It took them two hours for her to reach her limit.

He had scooped her up in his arms and whispered, "Wasn't that better than you expected. Aren't you stronger than you think."

And after hearing those words, she smiled and fell asleep.

* * *

Now Elide rubbed her eyes and blinked.

She turned to Lorcan, who was driving. His face etched with concentration. Why? Elide didn't know. The roads were completely clear.

She realized that someone was talking. He seemed to be narrating something. An audiobook. She picked up Lorcan's phone - it was an old tale. A book on war tactics.

Lorcan glanced at Elide, "You can change it if you want."

She leaned back in her seat, "It's fine." She didn't know how to read, after all, she didn't know what she liked. But there was something about this audiobook. It had the stories, the adventures, but it was narrated - she didn't have to read. It was completely foreign to her. She could read simple words, not the ornate words of novels. But she enjoyed the story being told - she understood - the power - the emotion of the tale being told. And it made her want to learn to read.

"What's this?" Elide put her hands on her hips. She stood in front of a board. It was an ice-skating rink.

Lorcan gave her a reassuring smile, which Elide did not return. Confused, he held her hand. They went through the double doors and rented two pairs of skates. Lorcan looked to the side, and he saw Elide become agitated. He racked his head for all the things he could have done wrong. Nothing. He put a comforting hand on the small of Elide's back and led her to the rink. Elide sucked a breath.

She noticed the elegant dance of the people on the ice. She noticed the sharp turns and the angle of ankles. Somehow, they kept their weight on the thin blade. She noticed their spins, noticed the way they manipulated the ice to their body's command. It was magic, really. The way their eyes held a joy and a bliss. The way their arms spread out like a bird taking flight. They were flying. The speed, the elegance, the will. These were dancers on ice.

Dancers with two good feet.

Elide swallowed. The skating rink went from beautiful to taunting, to outright anguish the longer Elide looked at it. Elide turned to look at Lorcan. To tell him to get out of here. But Elide stopped at the look on his face. He was in awe of their grace, beauty, and magnificence. He was looking at one woman in particular. Stunning, her looks as well as her dance. The agilest of them all. Elide's ankle ached. Lorcan kept watching the woman. And Elide's anger grew. How could he be so ignorant? Bringing her here was a mistake. It was almost as if he was pointing out her flaws. Flaws that she could never fix. She thought he knew the tears that went into the mass of scars on her ankle. The money and treatment and pride that disappeared to her ankle. Elide gritted her teeth until she could no longer take the humiliation. She stormed out of the rink. She stalked over to a cold brick wall. She pressed her back against it. And she tried, she tried so goddamn hard, but she started to sob. It wouldn't have hurt as much if it was anyone else. She'd dealt with it for most of her life. But when it was Lorcan… was it that hideous? She could never be that woman, graceful and without flaws. Elide was never ashamed of her past. But Lorcan…

Lorcan was standing in front of her. He crouched down and cupped her chin, "What's the matter?"

Elide gasped for air and stuttered, "Those skaters, they looked so good." Lorcan nodded, Elide continued but covered her face with her hands, "Don't you get it? I can't skate. Not with this leg. I can't be like them Lorcan. I can't be like that woman you were looking at." Elide smashed her leg against the ground hard. She tipped her head up to the sky.

Lorcan's face covered her view of the sky, Lorcan was hovering over her, "I'm sorry. I was careless. I just thought…"

Elide shut her eyes, "I hate this. I hate that I show you my insecure side. My weak side."

"I don't see anything." Lorcan stared deeply into her eyes, with a mixture of intent, admiration, and lust. And then crushed her into an embrace. Elide smelled the earthy scent of Lorcan and she realized how petty and vain her worries were. With Lorcan, there was no need to be insecure. She was plenty secure in his arms.

When they separated, Lorcan asked carefully, "I would love to teach you to skate."

And so they did. And Elide felt proud of herself, that she was embracing her flaws and her past, and she didn't care that she fell and tripped and wobbled unlike those around her. Elide felt like flying. And as proud as she was of herself, Lorcan was prouder. Seeing his Elide, his broken bird, outside in the cold in the anguish of her broken wing, it made him want to teach her to fly. And he wanted to show of the bandage around her feathers to the others. 'Here is my bird. My beautiful and strong bird. That against the odds, she rises. Look at her. Admire her. She is the most stunning of all birds.' And at that moment, to Lorcan, she indeed looked the most beautiful. That woman he was looking at paled in comparison to the warrior in front of him. And Lorcan was so damn proud of Elide. Admiring his bird and her beautiful smile and her endless perseverance. He was damned lucky. He had to pray to the gods he wouldn't break down in tears right then and there.

* * *

They sat in a comfortable silence. Both listening to the same song. It was moments like these that Elide treasured. Moments where not a single word was said, but the whole world was understood. It was moments like this that made Elide realized the closeness between the two. Their experiences and personalities that intertwined, laying the world in their hands.

Suddenly, the need to make every moment precious was pressing.

 _No need to brag now (no need)_

 _He didn't need to brag. Lorcan wanted to brag about his Elide._

 _Ayy, put the mask down (mask)_

 _Elide pulled down her mask and showed him her insecurities._

 _We livin' fast now (fast)_

And so they recklessly loved an eternal true love.

 **Stir Fry. A song about drugs and women. And it somehow ended up being the song for their dance on their wedding day. That's Elide and Lorcan for you!**

 **AU: Yona of the Dawn parallel anyone? This was inspired by a phase where I LOVED Stir Fry by Migos. (I still do but...) Anyway, that's a late night fanfic. Review for the lost hours of sleep!**


End file.
